Austin James: Playing for His Life (Entry 37)
His pace was significantly slower than it had been earlier that
morning. Austin grabbed some socks and underwear from the dresser
drawer, casually dropping them into the duffel bag.
“I’m sorry,” his father said from the doorway.
“For what?” Austin replied, feeling bad that his father, after all he had done for him, even felt the need to apologize.
“I’ve acted like I’ve let you fight your own battles, Austin,” he
began. “But I haven’t. I’ve been looking to protect you this whole
time, steer you a certain way.”
Philip paused as Austin turned to face him. His father looked pained,
and not from the gash on his arm that was bleeding through the gauze
wrap his mother had just taped to it. Philip felt he had hindered his
son’s independence…he had become controlling, something he never
intended and, frankly, Austin didn’t agree was true.
“You were looking out for me, Dad,” Austin said.
“Was I?” Philip asked, doubting himself. “Or was I doing it for me, so
I could feel I had protected you. That’s my job, after all. To protect
and take care of my kids.”
His face looked sullen, a look Austin had never seen come over him.
“And nobody has ever done it better, Dad,” Austin said softly, stepping
toward his father, who didn’t look up from the floor. He always taught
Austin to look someone in the eye when talking with them, and Philip
always practiced it…always. But not now.
“Dad, I’m not leaving because I’m mad at you,” Austin said. “I’m leaving because I’m ready to…because YOU made me ready to.”
With that, Philip looked up.
“You are so strong Austin,” he said with a pitch at one point that
visibly embarrassed him. “So damn strong. I just can’t take anyone
making you out to be anything less than you are.”
“And I love you for that, Dad,” Austin replied. “You’re an incredible
father, and the only reason I am ready to do this, the only reason I
have a sense of right and wrong that makes me question my actions. This
isn’t going to be easy, but I’m ready to go on my own and see what I
can do. And I’m ready BECAUSE of you.”
Austin hugged his father tightly, the two embraced, wrapped in the love of their relationship and the fear of their separation.
“Just stay ’til morning,” Philip asked of his son. “It’ll kill mom if you leave in a flash like this.”
Philip hated being disingenuous, and on the rare occasions he was, he remedied it quickly. This was no exception.
“I want you to stay,” he said.
Austin smiled. “Sure thing, Dad. For mom.”
Philip laughed, grabbing Austin around the neck, as the two headed downstairs for Austin’s final night home.
Austin James: Playing For His Life (Baseball
Fiction) 